Pilot was a little cramped & rushed, which is to be expected. Character dynamics always feel a little forced in a first episode (witness the first episode of Friends, or any other legendary ensemble show), so I'm discounting that aspect as well. What's left was more than good enough to keep me around for a season. Actors are appealing, script was decently plotted. There's a certain generic quality to the sci-fi that I hope gets more filled in (the Krill are bad guy aliens 1A), but it's clear that their heart and mind are in the right place.

I'll admit I give extra points for filling out the pilot cast with not one, but TWO DS9 alumni. Boss.

Did not get that sense at all. The opposite, in fact. I felt they could have tightened it with some judicious editing.

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Character dynamics always feel a little forced in a first episode (witness the first episode of Friends…

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I often point to FRIENDS as an example of a show that hit the ground running. All the characters were defined in the first episode, and to me there seemed nothing at all forced about it.

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There's a certain generic quality to the sci-fi…

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Doing a show like this requires hitting certain familiar tropes, or the audience is likely to miss the point. Not much to be gained by doing a sci-fi comedy/parody that does not reflect what has come before.

I often point to FRIENDS as an example of a show that hit the ground running. All the characters were defined in the first episode, and to me there seemed nothing at all forced about it.

Interesting. I've always compared the Friends pilot to the Cheers pilot - both being James Burrows directed (probably the premiere multicam sitcom director) and found the former a little less satisfying - although the Cheers pilot is one of the best first episodes ever, so maybe the point of comparison isn't quite fair.

I got that, too. Not to deconstruct too much, but I wondered if it was a subtle nod to THE HITCHHIKERS GUIDE TO THE GALAXY. In the book, the starship Heart of Gold is described as resembling a sneaker.

I liked it and, surprisingly enough, my wife liked it. I'm not a big fan of Seth MacFarlane, but this was ok. There were a couple of scenes that had me rolling my eyes ("Gotta go pee." And "Ooooo, pizza party! Can we go?"), but overall I liked it enough to keep watching.

We watched it last night, and most of my dreads disappeared. I was afraid this was "Family Guy in Space", but that was far from the case.

It had more light moments than Star Trek, but there were real characters, real drama, a nifty deus ex machina IMO, and while the funny bits were a little pushy, they weren't obsequious, and they were perfectly fine - especially if they weren't being compared to another show.

I think Seth MacFarlane had to restrain himself several times, and I believe he did a very credible job. The show needs a little sharpening and tightening here and there - but so few new shows DON'T.

We're set to record it all season if we don't actually get to watch it Sunday nights. I am entirely willing to give it a full chance, and I anticipate really enjoying it.

I didn't think it was out-of-the-gate fantastic, but I thought that it was quite charming. That's a word I'd never thought I'd associate with Seth MacFarlane! It had heart, which I liked, and while I thought the winks and nods to several iterations of STAR TREK were a bit heavy handed, overall I appreciated them.

Curious where they take the series, but so far color me cautiously optimistic.

Found the premiere just okay, but was impressed with McFarlane etal's apparent and surprising respect for Star Trek and its conventions. While the expected lowbrow humor was there, it was injected in small enough doses and alongside some occasional actual attempts at plotting and characterization. I agree that there was some unexpected heart on display too, though it remains to be seen if that will stay. If the pilot is an indication, this could be a lot more like traditional Trek than the upcoming Discovery, so even if it hasn't totally found itself yet, I am happy to see the Orville's "Family Guy Skewers Trek" expectations are inaccurate.

Right. I'm just saying that if, like me, you'd like to own the pilot as a stand alone it's free right now. On Demand is always an option, but you're tethered to your home box or the space it takes on your DVR. And even if you download it to your DVR to watch, it's got an expiration date and will wipe itself from your DVR when that date is expired.

As a sidebar to Bill's comment, I'm with Doug. 800+ million users doesn't constitute a "cult". Apple is a store like any other. You shop there or you don't. I was simply offering a solution to those who don't have cable, thus no On Demand service, who missed the pilot and wanted to see it legally rather than stream it from one of a thousand different pirate sites. If you don't want to shop there, Bill, then that's your prerogative. Take it up with Fox!

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